Artist&#39;s palette



Oct. 27, 1953 G. BERGEN ARTISTS PALETTE 2 Sheets-Sheet l- INVENTEJR.

Oct. 27, '1953 G. BERGEN 2,656,633

ARTISTS PALETTE Filed Nov. 15. 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1" IIIIIIIIIIIIIII INVENTOR.

FTTOlP/Vf Y Patented Oct. 27, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 9 Claims. i

This invention relates to artists palettes, and

more'partcularly to palettes of the various types which, are intended to be held with or by the hand, during use for exhibiting, mixing and storing colors and the like.

A palette of this character commonly comprises a rigid panel, e. g. of wood, metal, sheet fibre or plastic material and the like, having dimensions appropriate for support by the artists hand, and shaped to permit manual engagement, such shaping including a thumb-receiving configuration, usually in the nature of a hole near one end of the panel and therefore herein generally defined as a thumb hole. While such palettes may be of a wide variety of sizes and shapes (including studio palettes designed to rest on, the users arm, as well as to be grasped by his thumb), and while some special forms of palettes may include additional structure as of the nature of paris, trays or other vessels for holding coloring materials and various liquidsused in art work, all such devices are essentially charactrized as involving a rigid panel, provided with a thumb hole or equivalent configuration so arranged that the artist may grasp and hold the palette with one hand while he is working with the other.

Even though some effort hasbeen made in the past to shape the edges of thethumb hole, especially by an oppositely tapering configuratlon at opposite ends, to facilitate the grasping of the device, continued use of a palette is almost invariably uncomfortable. Since the holding force exerted by the thumb, against the sides of the thumb hole and indirectly against the other fingers or other portion of the hand, must be suflicient to support thepanel (or atleasta considerable part of its weight in the case of studio palettes) ina more. or less, level position, aconstant and relatively tight pressure;.must be; ex? erted, especially at the edges ofthe thumb hole,

Evenafter shortperiodsof Work, such as a halt.

hour or so, the effect. on the-user hand; and

especially his thumb, is physically,uncomfortable;

the circulation being impairediby thepressure and the muscles being affected in a crampedpr holding a palette, and achieve some skill in re-,

ducing the unpleasantness or in avoiding severe pain; the discomfort and tiring effect invariably 4; arise during anything more than a very short period of use of these devices. Furthermore, temporary or make-shift remedies, such as wrappings of cloth, or the like have often been ineffective,

and are at best cumbersome and inconvenient,

with a minimum of discomfort and relatively simple in construction.

' Still further objects are to afford improved devices of the character stated, which are inexpensive to manufacture and yet which may be of a durable character and adapted to serve their intended purposesforlong times without wear or derangement.

To these. and other ends, presently preferred structures ofthe invention comprise a rigid panel, as of one or anotherof the materials and shapes heretofore employed for artists palettes, and

having a thumb hole arrangement which includes an annulus orlike'structure more or less annularly arranged, of suitably flexible or resilient material mounted in the panel. Most advantageously the annular elementmay consistof a flat, relatively wide ring of stificushioning ma terial such as rubber, foam rubber or an equivalent substance. Thecentral opening of the ring is shaped to constitute a, thumb-receiving aperture, e. g. of the ovalshape otherwise conventional insuch devices. At its outer periphery, the annular cushioning structure is mounted in the panel, preferably so that its faces lie flush with, or at least substantially in the planes of the palette surfaces. A, convenient construction to that end involves thesecuring of the flat, oval shaped ring in a corresponding opening of the rigid palette body, 1. e. an opening thus somewhat larger than the conventional thumb aperture. A further feature of special importance is involved in the flexibility or resilience, of the material constituting the ri notably good results are obtained where the thickness and characteristics of the rubber or equivalent substance leave the member sufficiently flexible so that it can bend outwardly from the'palette plane under the hold- V faces.

ing pressure of the thumb, yet suificiently stiff that such bending is only of a partial character, keeping the thumb well separated from the edge of the opening in the palette body. Such structures have been found to satisfy the requirements indicated above, andparticularly to reduce or indeed obviate the discomforts attending use of a manual palette. The thumb is effectively cushioned in a thoroughly comfortable manner, yet at the same time a firm grip of the device is always assured. Furthermore, the structure is essentially simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

ferred embodiments of the invention are described below and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a palette embracing one form of the invention;

Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively sections on lines 22 and 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a simplified view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the functioning of the device when grasped by the user;

Figs. 5 and 6 are sectional views corresponding respectively to Figs. 2 and 3, but showing a modi fied structure; a

Fig. 7 is a perspective viewof another form of the invention;

' palettes wherein the body or rigid panel is made of any suitable material, e. g. panels consisting of a single sheet of ordinary wood (usually maple or other hard wood) plywood, fibre compositions,

By way of example, a number of presently prerigid sheets of plastic material, or even panels of metaL, ceramic material, glass or the like. Ac-

cordingly for purposes of illustration Fig. 1 showsgrippingfindentation 2i and having simple plane- Around the locality where the usual.

thumb hole would be provided, i. e. near the gripping edge 2!, an opening 22 is provided in the panel 20, somewhat larger than the thumb-re-- tral and preferably oval opening 24.

The ring 23 is preferably made of resilient or elastic material, having some stiffness, i. e. as distinguished from a complete or rather limp flexibility. For example, a rubber sheet of moderate.

stiffness andof a thickness commensurate with the panel 28 (e. g about A or from 1 tohas been found suitable, especially satisfactory results having been obtained with a firm, 7

close grained foam rubber material. Thus the specific structure shown in Figs. 1 to 3 may be cut or stamped from'sheet rubber or similar material as just indicated. The outer edge of the annulus 23 fitting closely the inner edge of the opening 22,

these edges may be readily secured by a layer of adhesive 25, which can be any glue, rubber ee- 4 ment or other composition suitable for providing an effective bond between the inserted annular member and the surrounding edge 2| of the panel 23.

As indicated, the central opening 24 of the ring is of a shape and size to serve the function of a thumb hole, and may, if desired, have oppositely tapered or sloping surfaces at the ends of its oval configuration, for conformity with the sides of a thumb inserted at an acute angle to the face of the panel. Such sloping shapes are indicated at 25, El in the drawing. Although the width of the annulus may vary, it is at present greatly preferred that this member be wide relative to its thickness, advantageously throughout its circumference and most significantly at the ends of its oval shape, e. g. at places where pressure by and against the thumb is greatest. In structures where the thickness of the annulus is of the order indicated above, or greater, the present preference is that the flexible body should be at least about wide or indeed more advantageously of the order of or so.

In use, the palette is employed in exactly the same manner as conventional palettes. The artist inserts his thumb 28 through the opening 24, as shown in Fig. l, so as to support or hold the palette in a desirably level position. With the structure shown, the inner edge portions of the flexible cushioning ring 23 will tend to bend along the'sides of the thumb; For example, the edge region at Zia will bend downwardly beneath the thumb while the edge region at 26a above the thumb will usually tend to bend upwardly. At

the same time, the flexible ring has sufficient stiff-- while a close envelopment of the thumb facilitates security of grasp and stability of position for the palette as held. So arranged and manipulated the palette may be used in the customary manner for receiving, mixing and. holding a series of batches of paint, such as oil paints, water colors or others. Indeed, as indicated above, appropriate pans or other vessels may be constructed in or mounted upon the panel as desired. Since such supplemental devices are in themselves no part of the present invention, their illustration is omitted here, for brevity. 7

As should now be readily apparent, the structure of Figs. 1 to 4 provides a fully comfortable non-tiring thumb hole structure which nevertheless permits an effective grip of the palette. Quite customarily an artist not only carries the palette with his hand but also holds a group of brushes in the same hand; while such practice ordinarily heightens the strain, pressure'and discomfort occasioned by the conventional thumb hole, the presentv device has been found to obviate the problem'under even these more critical con-. ditions. The flexible ring or like structure 23 is conveniently made, as indicated, of a soft, cushioning type of rubber or similar material, al-;

suficient to support the palette. While foam or access:

5 bthe tlmsof rubbemare generally suited to the conditions of use oi -these devices. like materials of other composition may be employed, such as rar 119315 synthetic rubbers :or rubber iike substances, elastic or flexible plastic compositions. For. example, if in some kinds of work it is impossible 1 .a'l e d-iii duent exposure of the insert 1'3 to nentioular oils or fluids that-may be injurious to appropriate synthetic composi- 1110118 (for p neoprene) of amore resistant c aracter. maybe .1nn1oy-rx1.v

Fleas ando illustrate anoth r f rm f. h .d v-ice, wherein the ous-hionin annulus 30., which is of the same general shape and secured in the palette panel, 2-0 in the same general :manner as the member 23 of Fig. :1, consists of agrubberor likebody molded or cast to the desired configuration. fabrieated,- the inner edgestructure of the ring .39 may be quite easily provided with va smootbly r u d d contour, for exampl as at .3], :31 .on opposite sides of the minoraxis of the ,oval and likewiseas indicated :at 32., 33 at the ends. shap may ncmd oppositely taperin c figurations of the charaetershowm. corresponding to the slopes 25,2] of Fig. :2 and intended for like purpose. In respects of use and the like, the -.device of Figsfi ends is similar to that of Figs...1 to .4, accomplishing ,like --;beneflcial results. A

m ld d typ of inse t, such :as indicated at 3.0 in

s and may b Wufactured n qua tity at a minimum of costrthus permitting the com- In rti l pro uction of theimn oved p e e a very little and indeed probably least, additional expense, over that required for conventional wooden or li-ke structures wherein the thumb hole is-simply an opening produced by a, machine ope ation and having relatively sharp d v though generally: tapered. Indeed. even if made i 3. semi-ri id plastic or the like, a smoothly curved, molded insert represents a markedadvance over conventional palettes of an inexpensive class,.i. e. inproviding at least a somewhat more. comfortable fit --wh-ilepermitting mass. production at 'lowcoshe. g. to meet the constantly increasingamateur as wellas professional demand for art equipment at amodest price.

7 to 9 shown further modification, here embodied, for the sake of variety of illustration, in a palette panel 40 0f the Oval shape. Here the inserted annulus 41 providing the desired thumb hole 42 and molded or otherwise shaped or rubber, foam rubber or other suitable material as indicated above, is peripherally provided with a pair of spaeedflanges 43, 44 arranged to overlie the adjacent, surrounding portions of the panel 40.1 Specifically, the flanges 43; 41 may be -rnu tually shaped, relative toeac'h other and the inwardly projecting body of the annulus 4!, so as to provide a peripheral groove into which the edges of the receiving opening 45 of the panel may fit, advantageously with considerable snugness. "Ifdesired, a structure of this type may be held in place simply by the resilient grip of the material of the ring, thus facilitating assembly and indeed permitting replacement of the cushioning member should such operation become necessary. On the other hand the annulus can be permanently glued or cemented in place by suitable adhesive material (not shown) form ing a coating or layer between the inner surface of the groove and the recessed faces and edge sur face of the panel. The opening 42 may be shaped as before, in any suitable manner, for example with smoothly curved edges and oppositely slop- In the lattei localities the curved edge in; configurations as illustrated and as described above in connection with Figs.'5 and 6.

.Another somewhat modified form or the device is illustrated in Figs. ll) to 12, hcre' for furthervariety, :in embodiment with a palette panel in .of relatively very thin structure, such as "more commonly exemplified by palettes made of rigid plastic sheet material, or of :sheet metal, or the like. In general shape :and function, the inserted cushioning member 5- 1 is identical with like-parts in other figures, but more specifically akin to the structure .of Figs. 7 to 9, in having peripheral flange portions 5-2, 25.3 which form a notch or groove to receive the edge-of the panel opening M and to aoverlie adjacent portions "ofithe panel surfana. Here, .as in Figs. 1 to 3, the member 5 specifically represented as cut or otherwise fashioned :from sheet material, for example foam rubber sheet of some firmness. The flanges or flapsr52, 53 can be conveniently fashioned, as illustrated in Fig. '12 which shows the member 51 prior to its insertion in the panel hole '54, by simply. slitting :or incising the outer edge 55 of the .annulustoa desired depth. By virtue of the elasticity or the material the resulting narrow slitor notch :56 may be opened to accommodate the panel structure, yet the elasticity of the flaps 52,153 permits them to engage the adjoining portions of the panel when the device is mounted. Although the structure may be removablyseated in place, it :may with some advantage be secured by suitable adhesive as indicated above. Ar rangements of the general sort shown in Figs. l0, 11 or 12, whether made from sh'eet material or whether molded or otherwise fashioned, are

particularly adapted for application to panels of varying thickness, e. g. including extremely thin structures and also panels where-the thickness may vary in use, for example palettes of the socalled peel off type embodying a padof thin sheets of specially processed paper or other material;

which are successively peeled away to reyeal a fresh surface after certain periods of use.

Ad udicated above, the general shape of the palette, l. c. whether oblong, ova-1 or difierent configuration, vary with any of the other illsustratcd forms of the inventioniand likewise indeed the shape of the thumb hole formed in" the cushioning structure. Athough circular or other configurations maybe employed, an oval thumb holeis'usually most desirable. An especial advantage of some forms of the device, such as the arrangement shown in Figs. 10 to 12, is that the bottom or inner edge of theslit 56 need not conform precisolyjwith the opening 54 of the panel 58 especially where the flaps or flanges, 52, 53 are glued'in place, it is only necessary that every diameter of, the inner'end of the slit be at least about as" small as (or smaller than) the corresponding diameter ofthe opening 54 in th panel. For variety of illustrationthe thumb hole opening .51 is shown as "having Simon.

straight or rectangular edges, it being found that to a very considerable extent the flexible and cushioning nature of the annulus affords a comfortable fit for the users thumb even without any special curved or tapering configurations. Indeed one advantage of all of the illustrated structures is that the palettes, even though in some cases primarily designed to be held in the left hand, may quite readily be grasped (in a reverse position) by the right hand. Such reversibility is notably available in the case of the device of Figs. 10 to 12, where there is no special shaping of the thumb hole edge which might tend to favor one hand to some extent as against the other. Prior types of rigid thumb hole openings, being usually sloped in one direction, did not admit of interchangeable use by left handed and righthanded artists; hence the present structure may obviate the necessity of manufacturing two types of palette for persons of opposite dexterity. It has been noted, moreover, that the inserted structures may be made of a considerable variety of materials; although selected natural bodies in sheet or like form having suitable properties of firm but soft resilience (even such as some kinds of leather or leather structures) may be used in certain cases, special advantages, of both economy and functional superiority, are achieved with rubber and rubber like compositions, the use of such compositions being indeed a specific and preferred feature of the inventionl Likewise, While other shapes and relationships of the cushioning structures (such as discontinuous arrangements angularly spaced around the thumb hole) may sometimes be employed, and while the improved cushioning or separating structure, e. g. of the nature of a wide band, may sometimes usefully be applied to other digit-receiving openings, such as the outerrecessed slots in the panel, the principal and peculiarly important features of the invention reside in a completely annular structure of the types illustrated, designed to alleviate fatigue and discomfort at the thumb hole of the palette. As will now be appreciated, the several devices shown, including an inserted ring defining the thumb hole, are eminently satisfactory for such purpose, indeed for essentially obviating the otherwise tiring and painful efiects exerted on the users thumb by conventional palettes.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific devices herein illustrated and describedbut may be embodied in other forms Without departure from its spirit.

I claim:

1. An artists palette comprising a rigid panel having structure providing a digit-receiving opening configuration, said structure comprising a substantiallyfiat band of relatively flexible, elastic, cushioning material mounted on the panel and extending around the opening, said band including a plurality of portions angularly distributed about the opening and extending from I the rigid panel to said opening through a distance which is large relative to the thickness of the panel, for resiliently abutting opposite sides of a digit inserted through the band.

2. An artists palette comprising a rigid panel having structure providing a digit-receiving opening configuration, said. structure comprising a fiat band of relatively stiffly elastic cushioning material extending around the opening 7 and mounted on the panel in substantially coplanar relation with the panel.

3. A palette as described in claim 2, wherein the band has an outer edge portion comprising upper and lower flanges of said material, said band being mounted with an edge of the panel body seated between said flanges and said flanges overlying and fiatwise engaging adjacent surfaces of the panel.

4; An artists palette comprising a rigid panel having thumb-hole structure which comprises a substantially flat self-sustaining, relatively ela's tic cushioning structure annularly disposed about a thumb-receiving aperture. Y

5. An artists palette as defined in claim 1 in which the structure providing a digit-receiving opening configuration comprises a wide band of foam rubber material mounted substantially in the plane of the panel and having an inner edge defining said opening configuration. Y w 1 6. An artists palette comprising a rigid panel 7 having thumb-hole structure which provides a thumb-receiving aperture and. which includes oppositely disposed portions of relatively resilient cushioning material forming edges of said aperture, said portions having a width sufiicient to space said edges from the panel by a distance large relative to the thickness of the panel.

7. An artists palette comprising a rigid panel having thumb-hole structure comprising a fiat annulus of relatively resilient material mounted in an opening of the panel and including oppositely disposed wide regions, to be abutted by opposite sides of an inserted thumb, said material being sufliciently flexible to bend slightly'and sufiiciently stiff to bend no'more than partially under grasp of said inserted thumb suflicient to hold the palette. r

8. An artists palette comprising a rigid panel having an opening and having thumb-hole struc ture mennted in said opening, said structure comprising a molded annulus of relatively flexible plasticmaterial providing a thumb aperture and having a smoothly curved edge around said aperture. I 9. An artists palette as defined in claim 1 in which the structure providing a digit-receiving opening configuration comprises a wide, flat band of said cushioning material mounted exactly, in

the plane of said panel and having its surfaces flush with the surfaces of the panel.

GEORGE BERGEN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain Sept. 15, 1913 

